1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a folding type mobile device that allows its cover to be selectively opened and closed automatically and manually, and more particularly to an apparatus for operating the cover of a folding type mobile device, which is capable of selectively and stably opening and closing the cover of the folding type mobile device by compensating for a change in the output characteristics of the apparatus and a difference in phase due to load, using the control of the position of the cover.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, mobile communications may be classified into the following categories; direct communications among moving stations (such as, radio transmitter-receiver), communications between a base station and multiple moving stations (such as, MCA radio communications), and communications selecting a neighboring base station among multiple base stations (such as, automobile devices). Recently, there have been commercialized Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), smart devices and Hand-held Personal Computers (HPCs), which allow data transmission and reception to be performed through compute work and network access using portable peripheral devices, regardless of locations.
The mobile devices can be easily carried and conveniently used, so a demand for mobile devices has tremendously increased. In order to meet the various desires of consumers, the mobile devices are miniaturized and have become multifunctional.
In general, the mobile devices may be classified into three types according to their shapes; a bar type in which push buttons are exposed to the outside, a flip type in which push buttons are covered with a flip, and a folding type in which a device body is folded in half. With the trend toward miniaturization, folding type mobile devices have been widely utilized.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a general folding type mobile phone used as a mobile communication terminal.
The conventional folding type mobile device 100 is basically comprised of a body 110 and a cover 120.
The device body 110 includes a variety of push buttons, a microdevice, various parts for the transmission and reception of voice, and a battery pack for power supply. The cover 120 includes a display window for indicating call and function information, a speaker and a variety of parts.
In such a folding type mobile device, the cover 120 is hingedly attached to the device body 110 at its one edge. The mobile device 100 is opened or closed by the rotation of the cover 120 in a forward or reverse direction.
In general, the opening and closing of the cover 120 of the mobile device 100 is carried out in the basis of a structure illustrated in FIG. 2.
In the conventional folding type mobile device 100, a hollow cylindrical housing 111 is formed on the lower end of the cover 120. A coil spring 112 is arranged in the center portion of the housing 111 with its one end supported on the housing 111 and its other end kept free. A male coupling member 113, the outer side of which is wedge-shaped, is secured to the free end of the coil spring 112.
A female coupling member 114 having a wedge-shaped groove and a connecting projection 115 is situated to engage with the male coupling member 113 having a wedge-shaped projection, with the wedge-shaped groove of the female coupling member 114 engaging with the wedge-shaped projection of the male coupling member 113.
The male coupling member 113 and the female coupling member 114 serve as a hinge shaft. When the cover 120 is rotated together with the male coupling member 113, the rotational direction of the female coupling member 114 is restricted by the fixing groove of the fixing portion formed on the device body 110. If the male coupling member 113 is rotated at an angle of a predetermined value or more, the male coupling member 113 causes the coil spring 112 to be pushed while being compressed, as shown in FIG. 3.
As a result, when the cover 120 is opened and the rotational angle of the male coupling member 113 is less than the wedge angle of the male and female coupling members 113 and 114, the male coupling member 113 is forcibly engaged with the female coupling member 114 by the elastic force of the coil spring 112 so that the cover 120 is returned to its closed position and kept at that position. When the rotational angle of the male coupling member 113 is greater than the wedge angle, the male coupling member 113 is rotated at about 180xc2x0 so that the male coupling member 113 is engaged with the female coupling member 114, thereby allowing the cover 120 to be kept open.
On the contrary, when the cover 120 is closed, the rotational angle of the male coupling member 113 is less than the wedge angle of the male and female coupling members 113 and 114, the restoring force of the coil spring 112 is exerted on the male and female coupling members 113 and 114 so the cover 120 is forcibly kept open. When the rotational angle of the male coupling member 113 is greater than the wedge angle, the male coupling member 113 is rotated so that the male coupling member 113 is engaged with the female coupling member 114, thereby causing the cover 120 to be closed.
However, the conventional folding type mobile device is inconvenient in that its cover 120 has to be opened with one hand while its body 110 is held by the other hand because the cover 120 is relatively heavy.
In order to overcome the above-described shortcoming, there have been proposed various folding type mobile devices that are capable of being easily opened and closed with one hand. One example of the mobile devices is the type in which its cover is opened and closed by an operating apparatus.
In this type mobile device, its cover 120 is automatically opened and closed using the operating apparatus manipulated with one hand. In this case, the cover 120 should be opened and closed manually as well as automatically.
FIG. 4 is a partially sectional view showing a principal portion of another conventional folding type mobile device with an operating apparatus. As illustrated in the drawing, the operating apparatus is comprised of a motor 116 elastically supported by a coil spring 112 and a gear box 117 connected to the output end of the motor 116.
The motor 116 is operated, together with a switch manipulated by a user, and generates operating force for a time period set by a timer.
The gear box 117 is connected to the output end of the motor 116, and serves to reduce the rotating ratio and prevent reversion. A male coupling member 113 is attached to the output end of the gear box 117, and engaged with the female coupling member 114.
In the conventional mobile device, when the switch is manipulated to automatically open the cover 120, the male coupling member 113 is engaged with the female coupling member 114, so the body of the motor 116 is rotated around its central axis. The cover 120, provided with the housing 111 on which the motor 116 is mounted, is rotated for a predetermined time period, thereby opening the cover 120 away from the device body 110.
On the contrary, when the switch is manipulated so as to close the cover 120, the body of the motor 116 is rotated around the central axis in the opposite direction, the cover 120 is rotated in the opposite direction, thereby causing the cover 120 to be closed.
In the meantime, when the cover 120 is manually rotated in a direction or the opposite direction to be opened or closed, slippage occurs between the male coupling member 113 and the female coupling 114 and the coil spring 112 is compressed by the male coupling member 113 and the motor 116. Accordingly, while the coil spring 112 is compressed, the male coupling member 113 and the motor 116 are rotated together with the cover 120.
When the cover 120 reaches a predetermined position, the male coupling member 113 is returned to its original position by the elastic force of the coil spring 112 and engaged with the female coupling member 114, thereby allowing the cover 120 to be rapidly opened or closed.
However, the conventional folding type mobile device is problematic in that its cover 120 cannot reach a set open or closed position due to the change of the output characteristics (that is, RPM) of its motor 116 because the motor 116 is operated by its timer for a predetermined time period.
In addition, if external force is exerted on the cover 120 by the wrong operation of the switch while the cover 120 is opened or closed and is held by a hand or contained in a pocket, the male coupling member 113 is stopped at an undesired position.
Accordingly, in a manual mode, the cover 120 is not fully closed or opened at 150xc2x0 or more, so the opening and closing of the cover 120 is not desirably performed.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for operating the cover of a mobile device, which is capable of selectively and desirably opening and closing the cover by compensating for a change in the output characteristics of its operating means and a difference in phase due to both automatic and manual use.
In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an apparatus for operating the cover of a mobile device, comprising: a cylindrical housing formed on one end of the device cover, the cylindrical housing accommodating an operating means, the cylindrical housing having a projection at its first side and being open at its second side; two holding projections integrated with a device body, the holding projections having opposite holding recesses and rotatably supporting the cylindrical housing; a hinge shaft connected to the output end of the operating means, the cam portion of which is inserted into one of the holding recesses; elasticity means situated in the holding recess into which the cam portion is inserted for exerting a predetermined amount of elastic force on the cam portion; a switch formed on one side of the device body for applying an operating signal to the operating means; and position sensing means comprised of a brush housing and a rectification housing attached to the operating means and the hinge shaft at opposite positions for detecting the same phase state when the first and second patterns of the rectification housing are electrically connected and applied with electricity at certain positions by the brush of the brush housing.
The position sensing means may comprise: a brush housing fixedly attached to the output end of the operating means, from which a brush is projected; and a rectification housing on which the first and second patterns are formed to be applied with electricity by electric contact with the brush; wherein the same phase state is detected when the first and second patterns are electrically connected and applied with electricity at certain positions by the brush during the relative rotation of the brush housing and the rectification housing due to the rotation of the operating means.
The brush housing may be provided with one or more brushes.
The first and second patterns of the rectification housing may be formed symmetrically and applied with electricity by the brush of the brush housing at angles of 90xc2x0 and 270xc2x0.
The position sensing means may comprise: a rectification housing fixedly attached to the output end of the operating means, on one surface of which the first and second patterns are formed to be applied with electricity; a brush housing fixedly attached to the hinge shaft at the position opposite to the rectification housing and provided with a brush for connecting and applying electricity to the first and second patterns; wherein the same phase state is detected when the first and second patterns are electrically connected and applied with electricity at certain positions by the brush during the relative rotation of the rectification housing and the brush housing due to the rotation of the operating means.
The first and second patterns of the rectification housing may be formed symmetrically and applied with electricity by the brush of the brush housing at angles of 90xc2x0 and 270xc2x0.
The operating means may be a motor connected to a switch to produce the rotating force of a forward or reverse direction.
The operation of the operating means may be controlled by the application of electricity that occurs when a brush housing and a rectification housing have the same phase.
The elasticity means may be a pair of springs that are arranged and spaced in a holding recess to which the hinge shaft is inserted and support the cam portion of the hinge shaft.
The first and second patterns of the rectification housing may be comprised of inner and outer concentric patterns that are spaced apart by a predetermined interval and applied with electricity by the brush of the brush housing at angles of 90xc2x0 and 270xc2x0.
The first and second patterns of the rectification housing may be comprised of inner and outer concentric patterns that are spaced apart by a predetermined interval and applied with electricity by the brush of the brush housing at angles of 90xc2x0 and 270xc2x0.
The apparatus may further comprise a dummy pattern between the patterns, the dummy pattern being connected to one of the patterns.
The brush may have two contact branches.